5 Things That Will Always Work in Sales — Despite the Market Conditions

The last few years have been rough for anyone in B2B sales.

Budgets got cut. Pipelines shrank. And the playbooks that used to work suddenly… didn’t.

But some reps — and some founders — still crush it.

Why? Because they focus on the few things that never go out of style.

In the latest episode of Sales & Pepper, I sat down with Thibaut Souyris, founder of SalesLabs and one of the most followed sales creators on LinkedIn, to uncover what really keeps working — even when the market doesn’t.

Here are the five takeaways every sales professional should hear right now:

1️⃣ Build your personal brand, not just your pipeline.

Thibaut’s built an entire business around his personal brand — but the lesson applies to everyone in sales.

Buyers trust people, not companies.

When you share your learnings, your failures, and your perspective, you build familiarity. Familiarity creates trust. Trust creates pipeline.

It’s not about bragging or being viral. It’s about being visible in a way that adds value to your audience.

As Thibaut puts it: “If you just talk about your product, no one cares. Talk about what your audience cares about — and you’ll never run out of leads.”

2️⃣ Turn prospecting into a habit, not a heroic act.

Everyone loves closing — but few love prospecting.

That’s why Thibaut created his “coffee-first” ritual:

It’s simple, but powerful. Prospecting becomes automatic — like brushing your teeth. Consistency beats intensity. Every single time.

3️⃣ Keep your system simple.

There’s a new AI sales tool every week. Most of them don’t matter.

Thibaut’s setup?

• LinkedIn for visibility and conversations

• HubSpot as the CRM backbone

• A sales engagement tool for follow-ups (he uses Amplemarket)

Everything else is just noise. The best reps don’t chase tools — they master systems.

4️⃣ Stay human in the age of AI.

Every buyer now has the same thought when they get a cold message:

That’s your opening.

Be imperfect. Write like you talk. Send voice notes. Record short videos.

Humans buy from humans — especially when everyone else sounds automated.

And if you want to use AI, use it to save time, not to replace your brain.

As Thibaut says: “AI can’t replicate empathy, timing, or curiosity — and those are the real sales superpowers.”

5️⃣ Disqualify more — and close faster.

The most powerful shift in Thibaut’s career came from a simple mindset change he learned from sales legend Skip Miller:

When you focus on finding reasons not to sell, you suddenly sell better.

Because you spend your energy where there’s genuine pain — not polite interest.

His go-to framework? Three questions:

1. Why are we having this conversation?

2. What outcome do you expect?

3. When can you make a decision?

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If you can’t answer those, you don’t have a deal — you have a hope.

Back to basics, forward with intent.

At the end of the episode, we both agreed:

Sales isn’t broken. It’s just buried under too many hacks and headlines.

So, when things get tough, go back to what’s timeless:

• Show up consistently.

• Talk to humans like humans.

• Solve real problems.

Because no matter what tech or trends come next — these five things will always work in sales.

🎧 Watch the the full episode to get all of Thibaut’s insights (plus learn why he moved from Berlin to Mexico).

And while you’re at it, check out our partners who help keep your sales motion smart and human:

👉 Kickscale – your sales enablement partner for data-driven growth.

👉 HubSpot – the CRM that scales with your process, not against it.